Holiday Hacks

Although Christmas is currently on the brain, these helpful ‘life hacks’ can apply to any holiday! If you are like us, you are always looking to make moments magical without breaking the bank!

1) Shop the after-holiday clearance: While it can be tempting to rush out the day after, stores just don’t discount things like they used to. I usually wait until items are 50-75% off before buying them. You may miss out on most of the candy that way, but you can usually find some treasures at the local grocery store, Target, etc.

2) Find a special place in the basement or a closet to store these things. Make it the same place every time so that you know where to look when holidays are coming up. I usually put things on a special shelf in the basement and/or in a tub in that same area. Then, before I do my shopping for that year, I check what I already have. This year, I didn’t have to buy any stocking stuffers!

3) Look for gifts throughout the year. While this is biggest for Christmas, it can also be useful for birthdays, Easter, etc. January is a great time for discounted electronics, for instance. Don’t just rely on Black Friday/Cyber Monday/December sales! They know you are shopping then. The lull that stores experience in January and February often result in big savings!

4) Catalog these gifts so you don’t lose track! I use “ColorNote” to make ‘post its’ in the app on my phone for free! Then, when a holiday or birthday is approaching, I look to see what I have already for the special people in my life.

5) Talk to relatives about switching to Secret Santa. When your family starts to grow, and your other relatives also start to grow their families, gift giving can get out of control! What we do on one side is have each kid draw the name of another kid. That way, each family buys as many gifts as their kids will receive. We all know they will get plenty other gifts from grandmas, aunts, and your personal family Christmas!

Do you have any helpful tips to share? Let us know!

-Amanda